The GIZ (the German Society for International Cooperation) is hosting a webinar on November 26 to showcase the climate action benefits of natural refrigerants in existing building renovations and retrofits through its global nonprofit, the Green Cooling Initiative (GCI).
“Natural refrigerants have powered cooling and heating systems for decades,” the GCI said. “Their performance in Europe and elsewhere proves they can deliver high energy efficiency with zero ozone-depleting potential and no global warming potential.”
The event includes a general presentation by the European-based nonprofit Eurammon ‒ which promotes the use of natural refrigerants, including ammonia (R717), CO2 (R744) and hydrocarbons ‒ in HVAC&R applications. Heat exchanger manufacturer Alfa Laval will outline a building renovation with ammonia-based heat pumps.
The details: The webinar will take place from 12 noon to 1 pm UTC on November 26.
- Eurammon’s Managing Director, Dietram Oppelt, will highlight the proven performance of natural refrigerants.
- Tommy Angback, Business Development Manager at Alfa Laval, will present details about the renovation of the European patent office in Vienna equipped with ammonia-based heat pumps for building heating and cooling.
- “[The project] transformed an outdated building into a model of climate-conscious innovation,” the GCI said.
Several angles: As part of its climate and ozone protection mission, the GIZ is establishing training programs for the safe installation and maintenance of natural refrigerant systems, promoting the uptake of existing natural refrigerant equipment and supporting the development of new natural refrigerant solutions.
- In 2023, the nonprofit agreed to establish the “first-ever” East African transcritical CO2 supermarket training center in Nairobi as part of a partnership with European-based Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, now CCR.
- In its guide to R290 split air conditioners released in March, the GIZ indicated that global emissions from split air-conditioning systems could decrease 25% by 2050 if propane (R290) units take and maintain a 50% market share.
- The group is collaborating with Thermo King, a brand of Trane Technologies, to develop a proof of concept for an R290 refrigerated maritime shipping container, including establishing safety standards and performance modeling.
Quotable: “As global energy systems decarbonize, natural refrigerants such as ammonia, CO2, and hydrocarbons are emerging as the future-proof backbone of sustainable heating and cooling,” the GCI said.
“As global energy systems decarbonize, natural refrigerants such as ammonia, CO2, and hydrocarbons are emerging as the future-proof backbone of sustainable heating and cooling.”
The Green Cooling Initiative
